Spark plug



s. scoG NAMILL May 19, 1925.

SPARK PLUG Filed Auz. 25., 1922 A rromvfr/ ,e @afar 'grilla ff lPasrsur OFFICE. i

sALvaroaE scoGNaMILLo, or 4New Yoan, N.' Y.

SPARK PLUG.

Application led August 25, 1922. Serial No. 584,288.

To all'whom it may cof/wem.'l

Be it known that I, SALVATORE SCOGNA- MrLLo, a citizen of the United States, residing at New.` York city, in the county of New York and-*State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spark Plugs, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to sparking plugs, and the main objects of the same are, to provide a device of this character constructed to protect the electrodes from oil and hydrocarbon deposits, and to render the spark or its flash visible from the exterior of the plug to determine whether the plug is operating regularly and correctly. A further object of the invention is to generally improve the"t structures of sparking plugs and render the parts thereof convenient in assemblage as well as separation, and particularly to provide a. removable electrode carrying plug. A still further object of the invention is to provide a sparking plug having al novel form of attaching meansv for the electric wires or connections and in some instances to preferably replace the ordinary form of binding post.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of-the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed and which constitute improvements on the sparking plug disclosed by my Patent No. 1,200,243, dated October 13. 1916. and my pending application Serial No. 565,530, filed June 3, 1922.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a spark plug embodying the features of the improvement;

Fig. 2 is.. a transverse vertical section through the center of the plug as shown by.

Fig. 1

Figs. a 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 1o, 11 and 12 are.

detail views in section, elevation and plan, showing separated parts of the improved sparking plug;

Fig. 13 is a detail perspective view of the lower removable electrode plug;

Fig. 14 is a .detail sectional view showing thev manner of applying the electrical wire connection to the upper end of the plug by means of an ordinary binding or clamping screw;

Figs. 15 and 16 are, respectively, a side elevation broken away and top plan view of a preferred form of attaching clamp means ingrplug.

e numeral 5 designates the plug lody or shell, which is tubular or hollow and is formed with an upper chamber 6, as shown ,particularly by Fig. 9, the said chamber having a lower reduced portion 7 enclosed by a lower tubular extension 8 of the body or shell. Between the chamber 6 and the lower reduced portion 7 thereof an annular shoulder 9 is formed to serve as a support in a manner which will be presently explained. The inner side of the upper portion of the wall of the chamber 6 is screwthreaded, as at 10, this chamber opening through the upper end of the body or shell. The lower reduced portion 8 of the body or shell has inner screw threads 11 at the lower terminal thereof and a plurality of openings 12 above the screw threads, the openings being formed at regular intervals around this part of the body. As shown by Figs. 1 and- 2, there are two rows of the o nings 12, whereas in Figs. 9 and 17 a sing e row only of the openings 12 are provided. With the exception of the extra row of openings 12 as shown byFigs. 1 and 2, the body or shell 5 of vboth forms of the sparking plug are precisely similar, and the lower reduced portion 8 of the said shelll or body has exterior screw threads 13 formed thereon. Within the chamber 6 a glass disk or block 14 is removably inserted and is held by the annular shoulder or seat 9. The disk or block has a central opening 15 extending vertically therethrough to receive an elongated metal sleeve or tube 16 preferably formed of brass and havin near its lower end an annular shoulder 1 which rests on the to of the block 15, the lower end of the tu being externally screw-threaded as at 18 to receive a clamping nut 19 which bears against the lower side of the block or disk 14 and thereby holds the said tube 16v in upright fixed a plied position. The upper extremity of tile tube 16 is also formed with exterior j and immovably held in the tube 16 and descrew threads 20 for a purpose which will hereafter be explained. Extending through pending below the nut 19 to within a short distance above the lower terminal of the lower reduced portion 8 of the body or shell is an electrode rod or wire terminating at its upper end coincidently with the upper end of the tube and exposed through the latter. Applied over the tube 16 and bearing on the block or disk 14 is a transparent enclosure, which as shown by Fig. 2 is in the Jform of a cylinder 22 of equal diameter throughout its length. The disk or block 14 and the transparent enclosure 22 are held in place and in proper assembled'relation to the body or shell 5 by a tubular nut 23 having a straight bore 24 ot' approximately the same diameter as the outer diameter of the transparent enclosure or cylinder 22, so as to snugly engage the latter and maintain the same in central position over and on the disk or block 14. The nut 23 has exterior screw threads 25 to engage the screw threads at the upper part of the chamber 6, and is also provided with polygonal faces 26 for engagement by a wrench or other tool to facilitate application and removal of said nut. In the slightly modified form of the improved sparking plug as shown by Figs. 17 and 18, the transparent enclosure is in the form of a tapered bell 27 and the nut 28 has an inner correspondingly tapered bore 29 to snugly engage the outer side of the bell and hold the same in applied position. The upper reduced end 30 of the bell 27 has a bore 31 extending through the center thereof for the tube 16, and engaging a part of the threads on the upper end of the said tube is a nut 32 which is turned down against the upper reduced end of the bell 27 to assist in securing the tube in place. In the structure shown by Figs. 1 and 2 a shouldered nut 33 is iitted in the up per end of the cylinder 22 and engages a portion of the threads 20 on the upper end of the tube 16. The nuts 32 and 33 are ot course of metal and portions of the tubes in both forms of the improved device are permitted to project above the upper sides of the respective nuts 32 and 33 to receive a screw or binding cap 34, as shown by Fig.

14, to apply and make' electrical contactl with a terminal connection 35 of an electric..y

In the lower screw-'threaded` end of the lower reducedportion 8 of the body or shell 5, asshown by Fig. 2, an electrode plug 39 is removably mounted, said plug as shown by Fig. 6 being provided with a lower screwthreaded iiangcd bottom 40 and an upwardly projecting socket or cup 41 fully open at its top and having electrodes 42 radially projecting thereinto. The lower screwthreaded Hanged bottom 40 is imperforate and has diametricallyT opposed recesses 43 for engagement by a spanner or analogous implement to facilitate application and removal of the said plug relatively to the lower end of the lower reduced portion 6 of the bodyor shell. In the slightly modified form shown by Fig. 17 the plug 44 has a series of openings 45 through the flanged bottom 46 thereof, but the open top cup or socket 47 is the same as that shown by Figs.

2 and 6 and also carries radially arranged electrodes 48 projecting thereinto. The lower extremity of the electrode rod or wire 21 projects downwardly through the open top ofthe cup or socket of each of the electrode plugs, as clearly shown by Figs. 2 and 3, and terminates above the bottom'of the cup or socket between the inner ends of the electrodes projecting into the cup or socket, and by this means all of the electrode extremities are shielded from accumulation of deposits thereon or corrosion by oil thrown upwardly thereagainst. It will be understood that the moditied form of the plug 44 is also readily removable and inscrtible in the part of the shell to which it is adapted to be applied, and any suitable implement may be used for removing and setting 'the said latter plug.

It will be understood that the improved sparking plug is adapted to be provided with any suitable form of binding post for attaching the terminal of the electric wlre or connection 36 as shown by Fig. 14, and in some instances the user may desire the cap or clamping nut 34, which is ot simplified construction and fitted over the upwardly projecting end of the .tube around the rod or wire 21. As a practical and quickly operable substitute for this usual or other analogous form of binding means for the terminal 35 of the electric wire 36, the clamp attachment shown by Figs. 15 and 16 may be used, said attachment comprising a lower fixed jaw 49 projectingr outwardly. fromI and forming part of a cap nut 50 adapted to be applied over the upwardly projecting end of the tube enclosing a portion of the rod or wire 21. The outer end of the fixed jaw 49 is 'formed with an open slot 51, as shown by Fig. 16, 4between opposite apertured end ears or lugs 52 to pivotally receive corresponding ears53 at the outer end 'of a movable jaw 54, the ears 52 and 53 be ing connected by a pivot'pin or pintle 55 having a spring 56 surrounding the same and attached at one extremity to the jaw 49 adjacent to the pivotal connection and also to Vone of the ears 53, and whereby a spring `hinge connection is formed between the jaws 49 and 54. The inner end of the jaw 54 is free and has .an upwardly projecting terminal 57 for engagement by the fingers of the operator to open or raise the jaw against the resistance of the spring 56, the jaw when liberated closing with -a snap and positively retained by the action of the spring against loose movement. The mo able jaw 54'has an opening 58 therethrough near the inner free end and the jaw 49 over the capnut 50 is formed with a convex -projection 59 to engage said opening 58. The terminal 60 of the electric wire 61 in this instance also has an opening 62 formed therein to fit over the projection 57, the said projection extending upwardly far enough to enter the opening 58 when the jaw 54 is closed. It will be seen that by raising the movable jaw 54 against the resistance, of the spring the terminal 60 may be ap.l

lied over the inner extremity ofthe fixed Jaw 49 with the projection 57 extending through the opening 62 in the .said terminal, and when the jaw 54 is released it will snap down on the portion of the terminal thereunder and secure said terminal against accidental disengagement from this improved clamping attachment. The advantage of this attachment is that the wire terminal may be readily and quickly attached to the sparking plug and also easily detached therefrom without requiring the manipulation of screw devices, and at the same time give the necessary positive contact between the engaging parts for transmission of the current. f n

The o eration of the plug when applied to the cy inder of a motor or other explosive receiving chamber is very simple, and in the 1 use of the plug with a cylinder of an-'internal combustion engine, the "as compressed by the piston of the cylin er is in part forced through the openings 12 above the plug 39, as shown by Figs. 1 and 2, lor

through the single row of openings 12, and

also through the openings 45 .of the plug in the form of the device shown by Fig. 17, and iS exposed to the electrodes within the cupjor socket of the plug. The flash which ensues when the sparking action and ignition of the gas takes place will be exterorly observable through the glass disk or block 14 and the transparentV enclosure either in the form of the cylinder 22 or bell 27, particularly in. view of the fact that the ignition is ei'ected within the lower portion of the plug. The suction stroke of the piston will draw the exploded gas downwardly from the plug and at the same time free the latter of ydrocarbon deposit, especially in lview of the fact that the electrodes are shielded a ainstcontact with the oil in the cylinder: trodes the latter will remain clean and in positive working order for a materially greater period than is possible in the ordinary form of sparking plug electrode arrangement. If, however, at any time it should be found necessary to remove and clean the electrodes, the sparking plug 39 or 44 may be detached and the electrodes easily reached for cleaning purposes, and subsequently the said plugs may be reap` plied or reset. In view of the protection af-l forded the electrodes by the improved electrode plug, the necessity for removal of either form of plugfor cleaning purposes will be required only at'long intervals.

In addition to the advantages incident to the protection of the electrodes or sparking members of the improved plug, it will be seen that all the parts of the plug may be readily separated andV reassembled. It is proposed to manufacture duplicate parts so that any one or more of the parts of. the

plug may be replaced at a comparatively n View of this shield of the elecl small cost when the remaining parts of the v ',upkeep. In the ap licationV of the plug it will be understood t at the same will be inserted in the cylinder of an internal comb stion engine, or applied to any other exp osive chamber through the medium of the exterior screw threads 13, the upper portion of the body or shell being formed with the usual enlargement 63 for engagement therewith by a wrench or other tool adapted for applying and removing plugs.

It will also be understood that changes in the proportions, dimensions and minor details of construction may be adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention. v

n What is claimed as new is:

1. ,In a spark plug, a, body with an upper transparent closing means to render the flash of the electrodes exteriorly Vvisible at the top ofthe plugto determine the character of operation of the electrodes, an electrode-carrying means removably applied t0 the lower end of the body and havlng a flat flanged bottom and an electrode holding cup risin from the upper side of said botwardly t vrough'the body, and an electrode device extending downwardly through the body and into the opentop of the said cup,

' the cup being of less diameter than the interior of the said body and the latter adjacent to and around the cup being formed with openings.

2. A sparking plug body having openings llo through the lower extremity thereof above the lower terminal edge of said body, an electrode plug removably applied to the lower end of the body and having a. cup projecting from the upper side thereof and of less diameter than the interior of the adjacent portion of the plug body, the cup having an upper fully open topportion and provided with electrodes extending thereinto, and an electrode ldevice extending downwardly through the body and into the upper open top portion of the cup to cooperate with the electrodes of the lat-ter.'

3. Ina spark plug having a body of nontransparent material, a transparent closing means at the upper portion of the body to render the flash of the electrodes exteriorly visible, the lower extremity of the body being provided with a series of openings above the lower terminal edge of said extremity, an electrode-carrying device removably fitted in and closing the lower end of the body and having an 'open top cup rising from the upper side thereof and of less diameter than the interior of the body, a conducting tube extending upwardly through the top portion of the body and partway downwardly through the said body, and an electrode device mounted in the tube and also extending into the said cup at its lower end. l

4. A spark plug having a main body composed of non-transparent material, a transparent closing means associated with the upper portion of the body and serving to render the flash of the electrodes exteriorly visible, an intermediate horizontally 'disposed transparent disk fixed in the body, an electrode-carrying means removably applied to and closing the lower end ofthe body, the body having openings above its lower end and the electrode-carrying means provided with an upwardly extending cup with a fully open top of less diameter than the lower end of the body, the body between the transparent disk and the cup being tubular, and an electrode device extending downwardly through the center of the body and through the said disk and having its lower end projecting into the cup, the cup being provided with electrode devices to cooperate with the electrode device projecting into thev cup.

5. A sparking plug having a body with a chamber in the lower portion thereof and openings therethrough adjacent to the lower end communicating with the said chamber, an electrode enclosing plug removably mounted in the lower end of the body and having an upwardly projecting cup within the body, said cup being of less diameter than the interior of the body and having an open top portion and electrode devices extending thereinto, the upper portion of the plug body being provided with transparent means for exteriorly disclosing the flash within the body, and an electrode device extending downwardly through the body and terminating within the cup to cooperate with the electrode devices or" the latter.

6. A sparking plug having a body with a chamber in the lower portion thereof, an intermediately positioned horizontally arranged transparent disk within the body, the said disk having a central opening therethrough, a transparent closing means secured on. the upper portion of the disk and forming a portion of the outer enclosure of the plug, a metal tube secured in the opening of the disk and extending through the top of the plug, an electrode plug removably mounted in the lower end of the vbody and having a cup device extending upwardly therefrom and open at thetop, the cup device carrying electrodes therein, the body adjacent to the electrode plug having openings therethrough, and an elect-rode device extending downwardly through the tube and terminating in the cup device to cooperate with the electrodes of the latter. l

7. A sparking plug having a body with a chamber therein, a transparent disk having a central opening therethrough and intermediately held within the body and dividing the chamber, a transparent'closing meanssecured to the upper portion of the disk and exteriorly exposed at the top part of the plug, an electrode plug removably mounted inv the lower end of the body and having openings therethrough and also provided with an upwardly projecting cu device with a fully open top, the cup evice carrying electrodes, 'the lower extremity of the body being provided with openings adjacent to the plug and around the cup of the latter, a metal tube extending downwardly through the center of the upper portion of the plug and through the said disk, and an electrode device extending downwardly through the tube and terminating in the cup of the plug to cooperate with the electrodes of said cup.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SALVATORE SCOGNAMILLO.

Witnesses:

ELnANoR F; CASEY, CECILE H. KAPLAN. 

